Save your money
Steve is as disingenuous as these frauds come. I have, on several occasions, asked this individual to be authentic and state his martial arts background as it pertains to budo, in addition to what makes him qualified to teach beginners and enthusiasts alike the art of swordsmanship. So far, Steve has only deflected these questions and referred me to his app in order to find the answers.
When I downloaded the app I found nothing but a list of individuals who, after doing some digging on my end, happen to have little to no affiliation with Steve. I scoured websites and other sources only to find small bits and pieces where this guy claims to have trained. Steve boasts a 28 year career in martial arts—but he will never answer in what. One of the traits of a genuine martial artist is being able to proudly and openly declare their school and teacher. Steve has done neither. If you want to prove it, as him yourself. Or wait for him to reply to this review where he will give a non answer.
I do hope, viewer, that you will skip this app and instead refer to more authentic content that can be accessed for free online—or better yet, find a teacher to learn in person. Steve is charging $20 a lesson for very basic subjects such as stances, drawing the sword, and footwork, etc. None of which are worth your hard-earned money.
Lastly, remember this: one of the ways to tell a conman like Steve apart from an authentic martial artist is to trace the lineage of their teachers back to the source—wherever that may be. Steve will deflect, tell you the information is free, or outright lie. An authentic martial artist, of which Steve will never be, would be very open to such questions.
Please avoid this app.
When I downloaded the app I found nothing but a list of individuals who, after doing some digging on my end, happen to have little to no affiliation with Steve. I scoured websites and other sources only to find small bits and pieces where this guy claims to have trained. Steve boasts a 28 year career in martial arts—but he will never answer in what. One of the traits of a genuine martial artist is being able to proudly and openly declare their school and teacher. Steve has done neither. If you want to prove it, as him yourself. Or wait for him to reply to this review where he will give a non answer.
I do hope, viewer, that you will skip this app and instead refer to more authentic content that can be accessed for free online—or better yet, find a teacher to learn in person. Steve is charging $20 a lesson for very basic subjects such as stances, drawing the sword, and footwork, etc. None of which are worth your hard-earned money.
Lastly, remember this: one of the ways to tell a conman like Steve apart from an authentic martial artist is to trace the lineage of their teachers back to the source—wherever that may be. Steve will deflect, tell you the information is free, or outright lie. An authentic martial artist, of which Steve will never be, would be very open to such questions.
Please avoid this app.
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Response from developer
Thank you for your opinion Smitty. My martial arts background and certifications are clearly stated within the free content of the app. I notice you have no constructive criticism of the content of these lesson, which IS designed for beginners who prefer video instruction over reading a book. With regards to where I trained, I have no control over the content of their web sites and social media. However, here I am https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp_fQ0mTefk Finally, If you are not a beginner in the Japanese sword, then this course is not for you. It is for those who cannot physically attend a dojo for various reasons, yet want to learn something.
